Lightwing's tale
by Kissed-By-The-Frost
Summary: I am Swiftlight. Moons ago, I died of a heart disease that no medicine cat could ever explain. This is the story about my former mate, Riverstripe, and our adopted daughter, Lightkit.
1. Chapter 1

_I am Swiftlight. I am the former deputy of Meadowclan. However, not long after my deputyship began, I died of a strange heart condition, that no herb could heal. My one and only friend was Riverstripe. I had a crush on her, and this made me think I was crazy. A she-cat loving another she-cat? Who ever heard her vof that? She did. She'd always liked me. Before I died, I promised her I'd keep watch over her for forever. _

_Now she has adopted a small rouge kit, who she's named Lightkit, after me. She vowed never to take another mate, and I value her loyalty. But the time has come to give me up. She needs to find another mate. Another cat that she can love for all her life. She has to move on. But I will always be with her, watching over her, and our kit._

* * *

**Riverstripe**

_I pressed my nose into_ Swiftlight's cold fur, staring into her glazed over hazel eyes. Tears slipped out of my amber ones, and fell onto her tortoiseshell pelt. "Why?!" I sobbed, as my family stared at me with sadness and pity in their clouded eyes. "She always talked about you." Swiftlight's father, Blackear, mewed sadly, blinking his sky-blue eyes at me. "She always wanted us to get to know you more." It was Swiftlight's sister this time, Roseshadow, looking up at me with sad amber eyes, from where she had been laying, head on her rusty-brown paws.

It was Lilyfrost next. Her golden pelt shone next to her brother's as she mewed softly, "She was always waiting for something to happen..." Her blue eyes sparkled with sadness, as she nodded to Swiftlight's youngest brother, Hawktalon, who stepped forward. His amber eyes stared at me, wide, sad, unblinking as he whispered, his chestnut tail swishing in the light breeze. "She never wanted to leave your side." Swiftlight's oldest brother stepped forward, identical to hi father.

"I pretended I didn't love her... But she would never pretend... She just... Had a way of knowing..." He murmured sadly, before bowing his head to my dead friend's body. Last, Blossomwing, Swiftlight's mother, pressed her nose to her daughter's spotted fur. "She never stopped loving any of us..." Her amber eyes filled with tears, and she pressed her head against Greyflame, her new mate, who just licked her ear, and said, "She loved you most, Riverstripe."

Once again, my amber eyes filled to the brim with salty, stinging tears, as I softly whispered, "Sh-she loved me?"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Swiftlight**  
_

_"When?" I asked, sadness coursing through my body. I looked over at the starry pelt beside me, my transparent hazel eyes glittering with sorrow. "When wi_ll she find someone new, Bramblesky?" The gray and brown tabby sighed, before sitting down beside me. "When she feels you next to her." She whispered, her blue eyes shining before she disappeared.

"When you give her a sign." Ideas coursed through my mind as I watched Riverstripe with my family. I noticed a black tom next to her, whom she was pressed up against, watching as the elders pulled away my still, lifeless body.

* * *

_**Riverstripe**_

_"Wait!" I cal_led, leaping up from Darkclaw's side. "I'd like to come too..." I whispered, the sorrow dripping like raindrops off of my voice. My blue-grey pelt bristled as Silentrain opened her jaws to object, but then lay flat again when she nodded her head. I padded alongside Maplenose as we reached the burial grounds. Roses, jasmine, lilacs, bluebells, all rose up from the rain-softened soil in the clearing.

As we set my lover's body down, to begin digging, I whispered into her now-deaf ear, "I'm sorry, love... I couldn't save you..." And that time, though I got no response, I swear I saw a glimmer of a transparent tortoiseshell pelt, and a flash of hazel eyes from behind a yarrow bush. But in a heartbeat, it was gone, and the flowers stopped ringing with that melodic sound as they had before. Swiftlight, my beautiful, talented Swiftlight, was really and truly gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Swift/River Tribute song that I wrote._**

_When you heard me_

_Calling..._

_You would_

_ Answer my cry..._

_And when your heart was fa-alling..._

_You never told a lie..._

_You said,_

_ "It was all planned this way..._

_Supposed to be this way from the start._

_But listen to what I have to say..._

_I love you from the bottom... Of my heart..." _

_With a sigh, _

_A closing of eyes..._

_You were go-o-one... Gone..._

_Who knew life could be cut in half like that?_

_Yo-ou were... Go-o-one... Go-one..._

_I'll never see you a-gain..._


End file.
